rich as the poore the father as the child the master as the seruant the king as the beggar as the Prophet Dauid sayeth With righteousnesse shal he iudge the world and the people with equity Though wickednesse among men bee in the place of iudgement yet the Lord our God will deale iustly Though among men there is respect of persons to bee had without which a confusion would and this is necessary to be vrged for men are full of contempt and too sawcy with them of superiour place and authority yet when all shal be summoned before the tribunall of God the Lord will indifferently procéed to Iudgement without any respect of persons And this should not onely pull down the haughty minds of the noble who thinke for their greatnesse here it will be easier for them hereafter than others but also this should be an vnalterable president to all Iudges of the world As they sit in Gods place so they should imitate the Lord in iudgement this should make them obey the counsell of the Lord deliuered by the Prophet Dauid Bee learned yee that are Iudges of the earth O the care that Iehosaphat tooke for iust and righteous iudgement after he had made Iudges and set them in euery City of Iudah hee gaue them this charge Take heed what yee doe for yee execute not the iudgements of man but the iudgements of the Lord and the Lord will bee with you to preserue you if you doe iustly but to confound you if you doe vniustly wherefore now let the feare of the Lord bee vpon you take heed and doe it for there is no iniquity with our God nor respect of persons nor receyuing of rewards O that this gracious counsell were intertayned of the Iudges of this land then we should not heare of so many complaints in our land as wee doe then we should not haue cause to complayne with the Prophet That iudgement is turned backeward and iustice standeth afarre off that trueth is gone and equity no where to be found then wee should not haue so many beggard by the Law as dayly are Law was neuer made to vndoe men but to compell men to doe well it was made to curbe the vnruely but not to beggar the innocent it is grown to this saying now a dayes I had rather loose it being my right than goe to law for it why what is the cause O because of rackt fees close bribes and the perpetuity of attendance Iudicate secundum iustitiam Iudge iudge O yee sonnes of men according to righteousnesse let your iudgement be in veritate in trueth iudicio in iudgement iustitia in righteousnes I pray God it may neuer bee sayde of our Iudges of England as once was sayd of the Iudges of Israel The Lord looked for iudgement but behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a crying Let not there be found in a land where the Gospell dwelleth such Iudges as were those that killed innocent Naboth Let none be like the sonnes of Samuel That turned aside after lucre and took rewards and peruerted the iudgement The duety of Iudges is notably set down in the 23. of Ex. Thou shalt not receyue a false tale Thou shalt not ouerthrow the truth for the multitudes sake Thou shalt not ouerthrow the right of the poore in his suite Thou shalt keepe thee from a false matter Thou shalt take no gift for the gift blindeth the wise and peruerteth the words of the righteous And this charge is continued in Leuiticus Yee shall not doe vniustly in iudgement Thou shalt not fauour the person of the poore nor honour the person of the mighty but thou shalt iudge thy neighbour iustly A Iudge must be Scientia potens and Virtute valens that is Able in learning and zealous in liuing by the one he shall discernere inter allegata Discerne betwixt cases propounded by the other disrumpere iniquitatem without hinderance punish and confound all manner of iniquity In all your Iudgements let these be aymed at the glory of God the righting of wrong the suppression of euill and the maintenance of truth Be zealous for the glory of our God and let the good lawes that are bee duly and impartially executed It was a great commendation that was giuen to Seleucus Gouernour of the Locretians who hauing made this Law against whoredome That whosoeuer committed the act should loose both his eyes his sonne being taken in the fact was not pardoned though the Citizens begged it earnestly but hee caused one of his sonnes eyes to bee pulled out and one of his owne eyes So hee shewed himselfe a mercifull Father and a iust Iudge O that we had the like laws against this and the like mostodious offences and that they were as strictly executed that many hereby may bee saued from Tophet The Lord guide that honourable assembly in Court of Parliament that they may all ioyne with one voyce and spirit for the banishing of Popery the reforming of iniquity and maintaining and countenancing of the word of trueth and painefull Preachers of the same And you my honourable Lord as you haue begun wel in reforming many foule abuses in this City so in the zeale of the Lord Prosper with your glory ride on with the word of truth meekenesse and righteousnesse and your right hand shall teach you terrible things Thus am I bolde to cast in among you the silly mite of my counsell meerely of Christian Charity tha◠yée may neuer taste of the woefull damnation of Tophet The third part of the description of Tophet is set downe in these wordes He hath made it deepe Many from these words do goe about to proue the locall place of Hell concluding it to bee below as from the signification of Sheol also Sheol is taken for a Pit or Graue or Hell the state of the dead the place of the damned spirits In the Scriptures sometimes it is taken for the Graue and sometime for Hell so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also The Septuagint translating the Hebrew into Greeke and expressing there the sense of Sheol vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both for the death of the body in the Graue and of the soule in Hell Mercer vpon Genesis sayth That the proper signification of Sheol is to signifie all places vnder the earth and not the pit or graue alone wherupon it is euery where opposed to heauen which is highest of all Hell is called by the name of Abyssus in the Scriptures which signifieth a déepe and vast gulfe vnder the earth a bottomlesse pit into which the deuils feare to bee sent and where they are chained and bound when it pleaseth God From which Abyssus there is an assent to the earth no descent lower Reuelat 9.2 and 11.7 and 17.8 and therefore hell suspected to bee beneath Because Tophet is here sayd to be profunda deepe Nicolaus de Lyra putat esse circa
eyes to sléepe nor our eye-liddes to slumber nor the temples of our head to take any rest till wee haue found the saluation of our God our soules sealed to the day of redemption and freed from the damnation of Tophet But where is this religious care and godly resolution O the dissolute and desperate course of this our sinnefull age men put their saluation to a hazard with Ludouike Si saluabor saluabor Si damnabor damnabor that is If I be saued I bee saued If I bee damned I bee damned there is the care that I take In the feare of God I earnestly beséech you aboue al things to make sure your Election and that by your Vocation your Vocation by your Iustification your Iustification by your Sanctification the reward whereof will be eternall glorification Ioyne Vertue with your Faith with Vertue Knowledge with knowledge Temperance with Temperance Patience with Patience Godlinesse with Godlinesse brotherly Kindnesse and with brotherly Kindnesse Loue Labour hereby to make your calling and election sure for if yée doe these things yee shall neuer fall into the vengeance of Tophet The second part of this Text are the parties for whom Tophet is prepared and that is for al vngodly people of the world of what estate or condition soeuer they be It is euen prepared for the King These words in particular haue reference to blasphemous Senacherib who was slaine of his two sonnes in a temple of Nineueh worshipping his god Nisrosh and in general it exteÌ„deth to all idolatrous Kings Emperours and Superiours whatsoeuer Here then first we see that no person in what dignity soeuer he be by his eminent place is exempted from hell Diues a great personage yet tormented in those flames Quid profuit sibi superbia quid diuitiarum copia What hath pride profited him or what hath the pompe of riches done him good Alas these could not saue his Soule For as sayth the Psalmist a man by his riches cannot redéeme his brother he cannot giue his ransome to God so precious is the redemptioÌ„ of soules and their continuance for euer And in Samuel wee reaâ—e That Kings are not exempted from the iudgements of God If yee doe wickedly yee shall perish and your King In the first Epistle to the Corinths we may read who they are that are threatned with Tophet neyther fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor wantons nor theeues nor couetous nor drunkards nor extortioners shall inherite the Kingdome of God This is spoken of Kings as well as of others And in the Reu. wee finde that the fearefull and vnbelieuing the abominable murtherers and whooremongers and sorcerers idolaters and all lyers shall haue their part in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone And this is spoken of the King as well as of the Begger for the Lord in iudgement fréeth froÌ„ hell not according to place but grace not outward conditioÌ„ but inward disposition Nay moreouer great men Noble men and mighty Princes are not onely lyable to Tophet but the greatest part of them shall to the deuill Not many wise men not many mighty not many noble are called for as God would haue all men saued and come to the knowledge of the truth .i. some of all sorts some Iewes some Gentiles some Kings some Nobles some Preachers some Rich some Poore so of all these the greatest summe goe downe to Tophet Yet for all this great men must not bee reproued forsooth the trueth that maketh against them must not be imbraced of them Abner could not abide to heare Isbosheth tell him of his going into Rizpah his father Sauls Concubine Ahab hated Micaiah the sonne of Imlah for not prophesying as he sayd good vnto him The people cryed out in Esayes time Dicite nobis placentia placentia that is speak pleasing things vnto vs. The Priests and people of Anathoth threatned Ieremy to take away his life if he prophesied to them in the name of the Lord. Amaziah sayd to Amos the Prophet Goe bee gone prophesie in Iudah but propheâ—ie no more in Bethel for it is the Kings Chappell it is the Kings Court. They hated him that rebuked in the gatâ—â—nd abhorred him that spake vprightly The people in the time of Micah liked them well that prophesied to them of Wine and strong Drinke I pray God that the great ones of this land be not tainted with this corruption Well for mine owne part I had rather bee stormed against for preaching Tophet to you here then yee should curse me in Tophet hereafter for smoothing and flattering you Yet this reprehension of great men I would wish it might be done in wisdome and humility with I beseech you O King by the tender mercies of God reforme these and these things for some in this case are indiscreet and too too sawcy and rather exasperate the hearts of their hearers against them then winne them to the Lord by their exhortation If then Kings and great men be not exempted from Tophet what should this worke in them but obedience to that counsell of the Psalmist Bee wise now therefore O yee Kings serue the Lord in feare Looke vp to heauen acknowledge your selues subiects to a greater As the Lord hath honoured Kings aboue others so hee looketh for a greater returne of honour from them than from others for where the Lord giueth much there the Lord requireth the more Kings and Princes are the kéepers of the two Tables of the Law of God and to them is committed from God the gouernement both of Church and Commonwealth they must therefore be carefull that the Word may runne very swiftly throughout euery Angle of their realmes So shall God gaine an vniuersall glory and Kings themselues a more stable subiection Kings and Queenes are called nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers and all to commend vnto them the care they should haue of Gods glory and the good of their people Iosua was such a Ruler that remained resolute and constant in the worship of God to his liues end Dauid prepared a place for the Arke of God and was careful for the church of the Lord. Iehosaphat Ezechias and Iosias were reformers of their Kingdoms enemies to idolatry and graciously defended the word of God And blessed be God for our Kings most excellent Maiesty who is maiesticall in his place in religion zealous in life vertuous and in mercy aboundantly gracious The Lord increase his graces in him the Lord annoint him with the oyle of Holynesse aboue his fellow princes and the Lord keepe him from this terrible Tophet and let all people that beare good will to this our English Sion to this my Prayer say Amen It is euen prepared for the King Secondly we may here perceyue with Peter that verily there is no respect of persons with God in iudgement he iudgeth the
Sauiour sayth I appoint you a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed to mee that yee may eate and drinke at my Table in my Kingdome Eatâ—ng is allegoricall but will you say that the kingdome is allegoricall also I confesse that wood in hell is taken allegorically but that fire is taken so I vtterly deny Bullinger holdeth true and substanciall fire in hell and so do the most and best of the learned Christ punished with Fire in this world Sodome and the Murmurers in the Booke of Numbers chap. 11. and called the name of that place Thabherah because the fire of the Lord burnt amongst them And Christ shall come to Iudgement with Fire which shall haue two properties To burne this property shal punish the wicked to shine this property shal comfort the Saintes as sayeth Theodoret And what shall hinder the being of fire in hell when the extremity of tortures shall be put vpon the damned hee that will not belieue this shall one day feele it to his sorrow If then it be graunted that there is Substantiall fire in hell the next question will bee Whether it be Materiall Corporall or Spirituall Surely Materiall fire that is fire nourished and maintayned with wood it shall not be for as the flashings of Aetna and Vesuuius and other places of the earth doe burne without fuell so shall the fire of hell doe hee that is able to make the damned liue without food is able to maintaine this fire without wood Whether then it bee Corporall or Spirituall for if it bée Substantiall it must be one of these Gregory calles it Ignem incorporeum a Spirituall fire but that is not likely for it passeth the nature of fire to be Spirituall and to goe about to make it Spirituall is to make it no fire at all But it is most probable that it is shall be a Corporall fire vvith an extraordinary afflicting povver giuen vnto it tormenting both soule and body Saint Augustine affirmeth the fire of hell to be Corporall If it be Corporall whether it tormenteth the body onely or both soule and body and how a Corporall fire should worke vpon a spirituall substance Saint Bernard sayth that Ignis exteriùs carnem comburit vermis interiùs conscientiam corrodet that is Fire shall outvvardly burne thy flesh a vvorm shall inwardly gnavv thy conscience Again he sayth Duo mala sunt vermis ignis altero roditur conscientia altero concremantur corpora that is the worme and fire are two insufferable torments by the one the soule is vexed by the other the body scorched Againe he sayth In carne cruciabuntur per ignem in spirituper conscientiae vermem that is in the flesh they shal be tormented by fire and in the Spirite by the worme of conscience Isodore sayth that there is duplex poena damnatorum quorum mentem vrit tristitia corpus flamma that is Their minds burne vvith sorrovv and their bodies with the flame Beda sayth Ignis erit poena extrinsecus saeuiens vermis dolor interiùs accusans that is The fire shall be a torment outwardly raging and the vvorme a griefe invvardly accusing Though these maintaine fire in hel yet they hold as you see that it is not of power to touch the soule but only to torture the body but I am perswaded according to the iudgement of many learned Fathers That this fire tormeÌ„teth both body and soule Zanchy de Operibus Dei sayth That the deuils mens bodies and soules are tormented with fire euerlasting For as they were as Simeon and Leui brethren in the same euill so both of them shall be tormented in the same fire Iustine Martyr saith That the Deuil shall suffer punishment and vengeance enclosed in euerlasting fire and they are no bodies but spirits The truth of this is ratified by Christ himselfe Goe from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels And the speech of Diues prooueth this most true for it is no Parable but History as Chrysostome saith Parabolae sunt vbi exemplum ponitur tacentur nomina that is Those are Parables where an example is propounded and no names mentioned he crieth out and shall for euerlasting I am tormented in this flame And if any man will not beleeue this I make bold to vse against him the words of Ruffinus who saith Si quis negat diabolum aeternis ignibus mancipandum partem cum ipso aeterni ignis accipiet vt sentiat quod negauit that is If any man doth deny that the Deuill is tormented with euerlasting fire hee shall one day bee partaker with him of that fire that hee may feele that which hee would not be brought to beleeue But how this Corporall fire shall torment the Deuils and the Spirits of the damned I know not and I trust neuer to know and it is but curiosity to be too too inquisitiue in these points for as a Father saith Melius est dubitare de occultis quam litigare de incertis viz. It is better to doubt of vnknowne things then to striue for vncertaine Compescat igitur se humana timeritas id quod non est non quaerat ne illius quod est non inueniat that is Let no man rashly meddle about these things that are not reuealed lest hee findeth not the good of those things that are reuealed It being probable that there is in hell a Substanciall and Corporeall fire that vexeth both the soules and bodies of the damned let vs now sée the difference of this fire froÌ„ our elemeÌ„tall fire This fire of hell differeth from our elementall fire in fiue respects First In regarde of heate Our fire in regard of hel fire is but as fire painted on a wall in regard of our fire Oh it is a fierce and an intollerable fire We reade of one who vpon the violence of any strong temptation would lay his hands on burning coales and being not able to endure the same would say to himselfe O! how shall I be able to indure the paines of Hell fire The fire into which Sydrach Misach and Abednego were cast was excéeding fearefull but alas nothing to hell fire Esay speaking of this terrible fire sayth Who is able to dwell in this deuouring fire or who shall bee able to dwell in these euerlasting burnings Secondly In regard of light Our fire giueth a comfortable light but the fire of hell giueth no light Cremationem habet lumen vero non habet sayth Gregory It burneth but giueth no light at all It is a darkish fire sayth Basil that hath lost his brightnesse but kept his burning Phauorinus in verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth hades is a place voyde of light and full of eternall darkenesse Sophocles cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 black darknesse Euripides cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉